As is the norm with everything in life, you don't know what a place is going to be like until you get there. That's why I try hard not to let my imagination get going before I arrive. We had heard and read stuff about Mexico City. A population over 21 million, pollution, a large geographical area, crime, drug taking, fancy restaurants, cathedral, historic old town, museums, ancient sites. Looking at that list makes it no different to any other city we have visited, apart from the population, as the greater metropolitan area qualifies it as the third biggest in the world. As we approached the outskirts I could see the grey houses spreading out over the hillsides, mainly single storey dwellings made out of concrete breeze blocks.

We pre paid our taxi at the booth in the coach station and as our driver spoke a bit of English and us a bit of Spanish he was able to point things out along the way and we all spoke Spanglish. Our hotel was in the Zona Rosa, a busy area with lots of bars, clubs, shops and restaurants. It was mainly pedestrianised and first impressions were favourable. For our first meal we found a restaurant packed with Mexicans called the Casa de Tono and when we saw that Cochinita Pibil was on the menu we were lured straight in off the street. This is my favourite Mexican dish, and we make it at home. To end this great start to the visit our hotel was located in a quiet street so we had the best sleep, in the place we least expected it.